Operation Get Invited: Codename LesMag
by repressedgenius
Summary: This was not her creating an emergency situation. Gail was making sure that the next branch is steady before climbing it.


**Operation Get Invited: Codename LesMag**

"CHRIS! I SMELL SOCKS IN HERE! CHRIS!"

No response.

"He's in the bathroom," Dov said, leaning on her doorway with crossed arms.

Gail was trying to get all of her clothes into her overnight bag without suffocating from the horrid smell coming from Chris's used socks. It must be marinating somewhere hidden from view in her room.

"So, staying over at Holly's again, huh?"

"Wow, Epstein. You should really go for the next detective rotation. Astute observational skills."

"This is what, the third time this week already and it's a Thursday."

"Uh, your point?"

"I'm just saying, I've never taken you down for the U-haul type."

"Har dee fucking ha ha, Epstein. Just shut your face. Weren't you also over at Chloe's all the time?"

Dov stalks off and she pursed her lips. _Really have to stop doing that. _Chloe told Dov to give her some space and time to deal with Wes and their divorce. It's been two weeks now and Chloe is still very married. So, any mention of Chloe was banned amongst them.

Gail had been on such a high from that trip with Holly a month ago and subsequently spending most of her day off with Holly. But hearing that stupid joke made her question if they were in fact moving too quickly.

She stuffs some panties into her bag and decided that'll do for the rest of the week. Perk of dating a woman—you can borrow clothes and not making it glaringly obvious that you are. It doesn't hurt that they were about the same size.

"You bellowed?" Chris strolled into her room toweling his hair.

"Clean the damn room and don't leave your disgusting socks around. Next time I smell socks, I'll stuff it in your locker." Gail left the apartment in a huff. Men are such pigs sometimes.

* * *

Gail enters Holly's car still thinking about what Dov said.

"All set?"

"Mmm hmmm." She starts the journey back to her place. The ride was quiet with Gail staring out her side window.

Noticing a dwindle in excitement from before Gail packed her overnight bag, Holly asks her, "Is everything alright? You seem a bit out of it."

Gail gave her a weak nod and says that she's just tired from the stakeout with Andy. They have a quiet evening later on. Gail was very much lost in her thoughts and although Holly was curious, she opted not to say anything about it.

* * *

It was the end of her shift and Gail was thinking of ways to get out of staying over at Holly's. They were supposed to go dancing that night. They always go home together after a night of drinking. It was safer. More importantly, a tipsy Holly meant an extra frisky Holly.

"Peck, I need to talk to you," Oliver shouts from the entrance of his office, head gesturing for her to go in.

"You finally fixed the drawer?"

"Yeah, Chloe did. Anyway, I need a favour. Andy had a family emergency and I need someone to partner with the rookie for tonight. The rest of the boys are covering the raid tonight." _Family emergency. _That was code for drunken father.

"Fine but I get the next Saturday off." That way they could still go dancing.

"Done. Thanks, Peck." Gail grabs a wrapped candy from his candy bowl (her gift) on the desk and pops on in her mouth as she leaves.

* * *

_'__I got bad news and good news for you, Lunchbox. Which one would you like to know first?'_

_'__Eh. Bad?'_

_'__I got to do the graveyard with Gerald.'_

_'__L__Good news?'_

_'__I have next Saturday off.'_

_'__J__Saturday Night Fever?' _

_'__Dancing, yes. Movie, nope. Talk to you later, nerd.'_

* * *

For the next two weeks, Gail avoids sleeping over at Holly's for more than two nights a week. The seed of doubt Dov planted grew. She didn't want Holly to grow tired of her constant presence. This was not her creating an emergency situation. Gail was making sure that the next branch is steady before climbing it.

Having said that, the tired officer was missing Holly very much. After another long day of work in booking and completing her report for the domestic violence case that left Chris with a shiner, she just wanted to curl up to Holly and sleep in.

Looking at the time—9:43p.m.—Gail messaged her.

_'__Hey, can I come over? Just done with the longest day.'_

After changing her clothes, there still wasn't a reply. With a heavy sigh, Gail made a move to her place instead. _Cheesepuffs and socks it is._

* * *

Of course, the next morning, Gail had woken up to a text by Holly explaining that she fell asleep. _Sorry. _Gail told her not to apologize and asked if she wanted to hang out that night. She did.

* * *

The next time she stays over, Holly slips an envelop into Gail's overnight bag containing a key with a spectacles drawn on it with a black nail polish. Inside was a note saying, "Next time, just come over."

Gail doesn't say anything about the key and Holly doesn't bring it up. She wasn't sure what to make out of it. Her earlier assumption that they were perhaps spending too much time together was being challenged by Holly's eagerness to see Gail.

Things became a little awkward between them with some tension hanging in the air over the key. They still spend time together albeit not as frequently as before. Neither wanted to be the first person to acknowledge it. For Holly, it was because she didn't want to spook Gail and as for Gail, she just wasn't sure how to approach the topic of the key after all this time.

* * *

"So, what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Dating a girl."

"First, she's a woman. Second, let's talk about how it's like to get married to someone and forget about it for starters, eh."

That shut her up. They were in the middle of graveyard shift and had just gotten supper or lunch at the diner when they answered a call for an attempted robbery at a liquor store nearby.

"I'm moving in," Gail said as Chloe radioed in the situation.

Stalking to the entrance, they could see a man pointing a gun and shouting at the cashier. Gail slowly tipped a metal rubbish bin next to the door. As soon as the man crossed the entrance, she kicked the bin to trip the man. He accidentally fired a shot ahead and the bullet pierced the glass of a jewelry store, triggering the alarm. Chloe quickly moves to handcuff the idiot.

"Good thinking." As they moved to escort the man, Gail couldn't hear anything. Her ears could only register her wild heartbeat. That was another close one.

* * *

"Hey, are you ok?" Shift was over and Gail was in the locker room, ready to call it a day.

"I should be asking you that, Price." Gail waves away her concern.

"I'm a little spooked. But I'm okay. Thanks for asking."

"Well, exciting as it is, I need some sleep. Later, Price."

"Hey!" Gail turns around with a raised eyebrow.

"I am trying to fix it, you know, with Dov. It's just…hard."

"Being the bad guy. Yeah. But either way, someone is going to get hurt. I just don't want it to be Dov."

"It won't be." Gail nods.

* * *

"Gail? What are you doing here? You're off." Oliver bends over to check the schedule on his desk again.

"Yeah. Came to hand in my report and brought you some doughnuts and coffee."

"Early report AND breakfast? What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Right. Then, hand them over."

They sat in his office and ate the sugary pastry.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this but what's up?"

Gail pauses. She wipes her hands and takes a sip of coffee buying a little time.

"How do you know if you're moving too fast?"

"You're, uh, talking…Is this about Holly?" She nods and takes another sip.

"Gail, there's no certainty for anything in life, especially with our job. So, take my advice—less thinking, more doing. If it feels right, then it is right."

She stared at her drink with pursed lips to the side.

"Thanks, Oliver."

"No problem, kiddo. Now get out of here and take the rest of these donuts with you. Celery will kill me if she sees this."

"No, she won't. Maybe a hex."

* * *

Just like that, Gail had an extra spring in her step.

Now the problem was initiating _the conversation _with Holly_. _

How exactly do you tell your girlfriend that you want to move in with her without doing a pathetic self-invite?

Operation Get Invited is born.

* * *

For the next couple of days, she stays at the frat house researching.

"What're you doing?" Chris flopped onto the other end of the couch. Gail has been using the laptop for the better part of the evening.

"You know, Chris, when you see someone facing a computer and are presumably online, you're never getting a _straight answer_." She chuckled at her genius pun.

Behind her, Dov squinted at the screen. "Why does it say, _Lesbian U-Haul Edition_?"

She shuts her laptop abruptly and glared at him before stalking off to her room.

* * *

"I feel like I haven't seen you all week," Holly complained while nuzzling her neck.

_God, she missed this nerd._

"Me too. But I'm here now."

"Stay over?" _Yes, please._

"Of course," Gail whispered. She pushed Holly until her back was against the kitchen cabinet and swiftly took her lips in between her own. Holly deepened the kiss and pulled Gail's body closer molding the two together.

"Fuck, I've missed you." Holly responded by pulling her in another desperate kiss.

* * *

Later that night, Gail continued their 'tradition' of slipping things into each other's bags.

She slipped the homemade magazine that she's been working on into Holly's backpack. Casual Fridays had its perks too.

* * *

"So, I found something in my backpack today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What is it?"

"It's my first lesbian magazine."

"Yay! You're an official lesbian now! Did you get your toaster?"

"Mmmmm. No toaster. I read an interesting article though."

"Really? What's it about?"

"The Best of Lesbian U-Haul."

"Interesting."

"Mmm hmmm. Wait, I got it right here. Let me read it to you."

"…"

"So here are some of the top reasons listed here to living with your cop girlfriend—and this is verbatim.

Number 1—having frequent and very satisfying sexathons. **Agreed.**

Number 2—doubling of wardrobe. **That's debatable.**

Number 3—handcuffs. **I'm not sure I understand this.**

Number 4—half the rent. **Not a proper reason but fine.**

Number 5—extra security. **No comment.**

Number 6—half the chores. **Doubtful.**

Number 7—never get locked out again. **Meh.**

Number 8—someone hot to look at in ever state of undress. **This should be higher on the list.**

Number 9—I forgot. **Hmm. Bad memory, this author.**

Number 10—please just ask her."

"Well?" Gail asked looking absolutely terrified.

"I think she forgot to add number 11—_I'm in love with her_." Holly closes the gap between their lips. She pulls Gail's bottom lip into her mouth, sucking and nipping it until it was bruised. Gail felt her brain short-circuited at the intensity of the kiss. She pulls back reluctantly and breathless.

"Please ask me."

"Gail Peck, will you please move in with me?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"


End file.
